Discover Our Digital Library!

March 16, 2022

Did you know that AAPLD cardholders can check out and enjoy books, audiobooks, music, and video, anytime, anyplace? Using our digital library collections means that you never have to go without something to read or watch.

While our digital collections have plenty of fans, there are still lots of myths and misconceptions that might have discouraged you from trying Libby, Hoopla, Axis360 or Biblioboard.

In honor of the upcoming travel and road trip season-- which digital content is perfect for, by the way-- please join us for a bit of digital library myth-busting!

A Month to Make Her-Story!

March 8, 2022

A powerful and revered First Lady. The first Latina U.S. Supreme Court justice. A ground-breaking comedian. These are just a few of the fascinating women you can discover this month at Algonquin Area Public Library.

March is Women's History Month, and a great opportunity to learn about the contributions women have made to our nation, and to history. Whether its a biography, memoir or historical novel based on real life people and events, browse our online catalog for stories that are sure to inspire readers, regardless of gender.

Elizabeth & Margaret: the intimate world of the Windsor sisters by Andrew Morton

Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll abdicated the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension.

Just As I Am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson "Just as I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. Here, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams. I am a woman who has hurt as immeasurably as I have loved, a child of God divinely guided by His hand. And here in my ninth decade, I am a woman who, at long last, has something meaningful to say."

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of NASA professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these ‘coloured computers’ used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets and astronauts, into space. Moving from World War II through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War and the women’s rights movement, ‘Hidden Figures’ interweaves a rich history of mankind’s greatest adventure with the intimate stories of five courageous women whose work forever changed the world.

Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini - The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant, revered, and scandalous of the Romantic poets, Ada was destined for fame long before her birth. Estranged from Ada’s father, Ada’s mathematician mother provides her daughter with a rigorous education. When Ada is introduced into London society little does she realize that her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage will shape her destiny. Intrigued by the prototype of his first calculating machine, and enthralled by the plans for even more advanced inventions, Ada resolves to help Babbage realize his extraordinary vision, unique in her understanding of how his invention could transform the world.

The Seed Library Journal #2

March 7, 2022

Okay, today’s snow put a…chill on warm hopes for an early spring, but I wanted to share some pix I took Saturday, which WAS a taste of spring! I hope you were able to get out and enjoy it.

We’ll plant our Seed Library sunflowers on the east side of our house, where they’ll get lots of morning sun. With luck, they’ll be tall enough to see from inside the front porch.

And unrelated to the Seed Library, but still pretty cool, our lilac bush has buds!

Any signs of spring you’d like to share?

Seed Library

Dig Into A Gardening Adventure!

March 2, 2022

AAPLD's new Seed Library offers a bounty of vegetable, herb and flower seeds free of charge! Whether you're an experienced gardener, or just getting started, it's not too early to prepare for growing season! Learn more about the Seed Library, and request seeds online. We'll fill your order and notify you when your seeds are ready to pick up.

This season, Adult Services Library Associate Elizabeth Harmon will share her experiences planting her Seed Library flower seeds, and watching her garden grow! Follow Elizabeth's gardening journal through the Adult Services Blog and AAPLD's Facebook page. And if you're planting seeds from the Seed Library, let us know how it's going by leaving a comment on social media.

I picked up our seeds today. We have Morning Glories, Moonflowers, Delphinium, Bee Balm, Asters, and one of my favorites, Sunflowers. My husband Tom and I discussed where we'll plant the flowers in our gardens, and how many seeds we'll be starting indoors--36. As a kid, I remember starting seeds in cardboard egg cartons. Though I haven't tried it in a really long time, we're going to this year! Time to eat more eggs.

We want to transplant our seedlings outside Memorial Day weekend, so we need to plant the seeds inside by mid-March. Our next challenge is to find a warm spot that gets good sun, and where our curious kitty won't try to eat the baby plants. And, do we need to buy a grow-light?

March’s Library Reads Selections

March 1, 2022

LibraryReads

Family Research Tips

February 24, 2022

Read all about it! Find your McHenry County ancestors in the newspaper

McHenry County early newspapers were filled with interesting tidbits that can help you fill in the details in your family history. From as early as 1846, with the Illinois Republican, McHenry County residents could read news from around the country and keep up with the affairs of the world around them. You may find your ancestor mentioned in society news, death notices or obituaries, articles about local businesses, politics, or court cases. Start by using general search terms, using just a surname within a range of dates, for example. Widen searches to other locations in the county or different surname spellings if you come up empty. Don’t forget to search for related surnames, and search in nearby towns or townships; you may find a relative that will help you connect your family lines to others in the area.

AAPLD offers patrons three databases that provide access to some of McHenry County’s earliest newspapers. The first newspaper in the county was the Illinois Republican. In 1854 it became the Republican Free-Press, and in 1856 became the Woodstock Sentinel, which still publishes today.
Go to Newspapers.com for these papers:

The Algonquin Herald – 1902 to 1910
The Sentinel (Woodstock) – 1860 to 1926.
Daily Sentinel (Woodstock) – 1922 to 1985.
Crystal Lake Herald – 1875 to 1963.
McHenry Plaindealer – 1875 to 1985. (Later merged with The Northwest Herald.)
Marengo Beacon/Republican – 1872 to 1986.

The Northwest Herald is available at Chicago Area Newspapers from 2005 to present day.

You will need your AAPLD library card and PIN to access these databases. From another library? Check with your library to find out how you can access early local newspapers.

Local History Notes

February 24, 2022

Naming the Village of Algonquin

The village was first known as Cornish’s Ferry, from Dr. A. B. Cornish, an early settler near the ford above mentioned [Crystal Lake inlet to the Fox River]. Later, when a considerable settlement had grown up, by vote of the inhabitants the name Osceola was adopted. But it was learned that there was already a town of the same name in the State. Therefore the choice of a permanent name was left to Mr. Edwards, the chief property owner in the village, and he chose the name which it now bears.

~From the 1885 History of McHenry County, p. 390.

Algonquin was the name of a ship Mr. Edwards once owned, according to the Village of Algonquin website. The name Algonquin became official on December 23, 1847.

These Local History Notes were transcribed from the History of McHenry County, Illinois: together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens. The book was originally published in 1885, and reprint copies are available for use at the Algonquin Library.

Ask at the Adult Services desk for assistance in finding these and other local history materials.

Welcome back to Genealogy at AAPLD

February 23, 2022

Welcome back!
Beginning in April, join us for a monthly Genealogy Interest Group. Just getting started or stuck at a brick wall? This group is for you! Learn about genealogy topics and resources, and get help with your family research. Bring your genealogy questions and dig into the library’s online resources (and more!). Check the LIBRARY NEWSLETTER for these programs and others!

Online resources
Check out these GENEALOGY RESOURCES available through AAPLD.
Some are available from home, while others are available in-library only.

In-library Research
Our special genealogy and local history collection provides books that will help you research your family and learn about the rich history of Algonquin and the surrounding area. Browse the collection and work on your family research in our Genealogy section in Adult Services. SEARCH THE CATALOG

Have questions?
Ask a Genealogy Librarian for help with genealogy questions.

Check out 2022 Oscar Nominated films!

February 17, 2022

Flee - An animated documentary telling the true story about a man's need to confront his past in order to truly have a future. Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 36, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for over 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time, he is sharing his story with his close friend. (IMDB). Nominated for Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary, Best International Feature

Summer of Soul - Part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten--until now. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more. (IMDB) Nominated for Best Documentary

Enjoy a Book by a Black Author

February 3, 2022

February is Black History Month, and its a great time to enjoy a book by a Black author.

Whether it's a gripping mystery, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, or thought-provoking literary fiction, there are plenty of talented authors writing what you love. We've profiled a few authors and a recent release by each one, and you can find lots more in our online catalogue. Or check out the Black History Month display in the Adult Services department, and be sure to pick up clues to our online Black History Month Scavenger Hunt. Return the completed form to the library by March 1 for a chance to win admission to Chicago's DuSable Museum.

Raised in New York City, Harvard graduate Whitehead made his publishing debut in 1999. The Intuitionists brought him critical acclaim, but Whitehead's 2016 release The Underground Railroad made him a best-selling author. The novel reimagines the Underground Railroad as a literal railroad operating in secret throughout the Civil War-era South, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017.

When Cora and Ceasar, two slaves on a cotton plantation, decide to escape on the railroad, things don't go as planned. Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted. Cora and Caesar’s first stop is South Carolina, in a city that initially seems like a haven. But the city’s placid surface masks an insidious scheme designed for its black denizens. And even worse: Ridgeway, the relentless slave catcher, is close on their heels. Forced to flee again, Cora embarks on a harrowing flight, state by state, seeking true freedom.

When San Francisco attorney Guillory took part in 2015's National Novel Writing Month, she didn't realize she was about to embark on a new career as a romance novelist. The draft she wrote in November 2015 became her 2018 debut novel The Wedding Date, which was a Library Reads selection. The follow-up novel, The Proposal was a Reese's Book Club selection.

When Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part--they've only been dating for five months, and he can't even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans...

At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He's even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik's social media blows up--in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can't be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes.

AAPLD will host a virtual visit with Guillory on February 16, where she will share insights on the modern rom-com. The talk will be moderated by Black author Morgan Rogers, debut author of Honey Girl.

Attica Locke's mysteries and thrillers have earned her best-seller status and a nomination for the Edgar Award, one of the genre's top awards. A writer and producer with the television series Empire, she is equally adept at portraying New York's powerful and wealthy, and the hardscrabble rural towns of East Texas. This area, which Locke visited often as a child, is the setting for Bluebird Bluebird, the first book in her Highway 59 series, featuring Texas Ranger Darren Matthews.

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well.
When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.
A rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas, Bluebird, Bluebird is an exhilarating, timely novel about the collision of race and justice in America.

Award-winning author Woodson writes for multiple audiences-- children, young adults and adult readers. From an early age, she appreciated the power of the written word. In an interview with Publisher's Weekly, she recalls her older sister teaching her to write her name when she was three. "I remember writing my whole name: Jacqueline Amanda Woodson. I just loved the power of that, of being able to put a letter on the page and that letter meaning something." In her coming of age novel, Another Brooklyn she weaves a story of friendship with the reality of growing up as a Black girl in the 1970s.

Running into a long-ago friend sets memories from the 1970s in motion for August, transporting her to a time and a place where friendship was everything—until it wasn’t. For August and her girls, sharing confidences as they ambled through neighborhood streets, Brooklyn was a place where they believed that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant—a part of a future that belonged to them. But beneath the hopeful veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where grown men reached for innocent girls in dark hallways, where ghosts haunted the night, where mothers disappeared. A world where fathers found hope in religion and madness was just a sunset away.

Algonquin Library Adult Services

Archived Posts

Discover Our Digital Library!

Myth #1- "I don't have an ereader."

Myth #2- "I'd rather read print books."

Myth #3- "Who has time to read?"

Myth #4- "Digital reading is hard on your eyes."

A Month to Make Her-Story!

Biography

Memoir

Non-Fiction

Historical Fiction

The Seed Library Journal #2

Dig Into A Gardening Adventure!

The Seed Library Journal- February 23

March’s Library Reads Selections

Family Research Tips

Local History Notes

Welcome back to Genealogy at AAPLD

Check out 2022 Oscar Nominated films!

Available Now

Coming Soon!

Enjoy a Book by a Black Author

Colson Whitehead

Jasmine Guillory

Attica Locke

Jacqueline Woodson